The present invention relates to a car cigarette lighter used for vehicles, such as automobiles.
A typical car cigarette lighter has a cylindrical socket body into which a lighter main body is selectively inserted. A bimetal is located at the inner end of the socket body. When inserted in the socket body, the lighter main body engages with the bimetal. The bimetal deforms to open radially outward of the socket body in accordance with the temperature increase of an electric heater of the lighter main body. An escape hole is formed in the circumferential wall of the socket body to permit the deformation of the bimetal, so as to release the inserted lighter main body.
The escape hole needs to be larger than the outline of the bimetal. Therefore, the opening area of the escape hole is relatively large. Thus, when the lighter main body is returned to the socket body with ash attached to the electric heater, the ash falls out of the socket body through the escape hole. Further, if a conductive foreign object is left during manufacturing of the vehicle, the conductive foreign object might enter the socket body through the escape hole. In this case, if the bimetal, which serves as a contact terminal for supplying current to the electric heater, might contact the conductive foreign object, which causes a short-circuit or deformation of the bimetal.
To solve the above two problems, an outer case may be provided for covering the socket body to prevent ash from leaking outside the cigarette lighter and prevent foreign object from entering the cigarette lighter.
However, if an occupant accidentally drops drink in the vicinity of the cigarette lighter, the drink might enter the socket body. In this case, the drink that enters the socket body is collected inside the cigarette lighter due to the outer case. Particularly, a cup holder for supporting drink containers is usually located above the cigarette lighter in the vehicles nowadays. Therefore, the possibility that the liquid is collected in the cigarette lighter is high.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a car cigarette lighter that prevents ash from being discharged outside the cigarette lighter and lets liquid, such as drink that has entered inside the cigarette lighter, to be discharged outside.
To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a car cigarette lighter, which includes a lighter main body, a cylindrical socket body, and a cylindrical case. The lighter main body is selectively inserted into the cylindrical socket body. An ash disposal hole is formed in the cylindrical socket body for discharging ash from inside the cylindrical socket body to the outside of the cylindrical socket body. The cylindrical case covers the cylindrical socket body. A discharge hole is formed in the cylindrical case for discharging liquid from inside the cylindrical case to the outside of the cylindrical case.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.